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Implementing SPIRE : new industry association gets off the ground

On July 18, the legal entity, A.SPIRE aisbl, that will manage and implement the proposed SPIRE Public-Private Partnership (PPP) was established at a signing ceremony in Brussels.

A.SPIRE aisbl is an association formed to represent the private sector as a partner in a new Innovation Public-Private Partnership (PPP) to be launched as part of the Horizon2020 framework programme.

This new association represents more than 50 industrial and research process industry stakeholders from over a dozen countries spread throughout Europe. A.SPIRE was founded through the joint efforts of the chemical, steel, engineering, minerals, non-ferrous metals, cement, ceramics and water sectors.

"Today marks a very special day in the history of the European Process Industry and the overall European industrial scene," said Ed d'Hooghe, Executive Director A.SPIRE. "We believe that never before such a large group of representatives from such a broad cross-section of industrial sectors have formally organised themselves to participate in an innovation programme of the European Commission."

Unprecedented scale

Commenting on this significant point in achieving the SPIRE initiative, A.SPIRE President Dr. Klaus Sommer said: "The process industry in Europe represents 20% of production, jobs and sales. The European Commission has encouraged industry to take more lead to shape the innovation framework programme for the next seven years so that important issues that directly influence the competitiveness of Europe are focus areas. The process industry has taken up this opportunity and designed SPIRE. We have attracted very good support from stakeholders, national institutions, European Commission and the European Parliament."

A.SPIRE looks forward to welcome additional partners that wish to play an active role in re-shaping the European Process Industry landscape through innovation to once again be the most competitive region in the world.

About SPIRE:

The Sustainable Process Industry through Resource and Energy Efficiency (SPIRE) PPP is a groundbreaking proposal which aims to develop the enabling technologies and solutions along the value chain that are required to reach long term sustainability for Europe in terms of global competitiveness, ecology and employment.